I really like my S3s as an all-around ski (bumps, trees, groomers). Everything about it made it a good daily driver for me. If Rossi still made, them, I'd probably buy another pair. But they don't. It is about time for my S3s to be retired, and I'm looking for a replacement. Yeah, there are some new S3s advertised for sale here and there, but I might as well look at current models.

What skis should I demo to consider as a replacement? I like the 100-ish underfoot, and the tip & tail rocker, and the approximate stiffness of the S3. I like something that is nimble - it gives me confidence that I won't be over my head when it gets tight.

I'm 58 years old, have a bunch of titanium in my legs, and I'm about 5'9" and 180 lbs.

I'm about a level 8 skier, and I aspire to be a level 9. I have no interest in racing, terrain park, or back country skiing.

I ski about 60 to 80 days per year, almost all in Utah (Park City for the most part).

I prefer to spend my time in trees & bowls & moguls. I no longer prefer to break the speed limit on groomers. I only ski groomers with my wife, and for that I'll reach for my MX83s.

This would be part of a quiver -- In addition to the S3s, I have S7s for snow days, the MX83s, and some BBRs that don't get as much use any more.

Price tag -- I'm willing to pay top dollar.

I've been told the Sin 7 is the replacement for the S3, and one retail sales guy told me it is much softer than the S3 & hence I might not like it, while another retail sales guy told me it is much stiffer than the S3 and hence I might not like it. Clearly, I'm not talking to the right guys.

The Sin is not softer than the S3. Has a medium flex but very slightly stiffer than the Soul 7 even and weighs about the same with the poplar core and skis more maturely on piste. It is a similar feeling in the front to the S3 but better harder snow orientated at the back so gives slightly more feedback on piste than the S3 did. Really a kind of a Swiss pocket knife, so not good at any one thing but fairly competent at most with a bias towards being lively and fun so like an evolution of the S3 with still quite a short turning radius compared to the others you mention so its super nimble. It's no Bonifide (or the others you mention) though on rough stuff as it goes over rather than through, the Exp 100 is Rossignols' version of those.

I skied the S3 quite a bit and this year I demoed a Sin 7 and found it too soft. Certainly felt softer than the S3 also the shorter turning radius of the Sin 7 made it it feel way different, yes more turny but the Sin does not have the stiffness for hard charging the groomers or hard snow. At least for me it didn't, I weight 185. I switched the Sin for the Soul 7 and the Soul felt much better, more stable while still being turnier than the S3. More maneuverable. I still felt the Soul 7 was a bit too soft for me but if I kept speeds on the lower end it felt great. At higher speeds and harder snow the S3 IMHO is just a better ski than both the Sin and The Soul. Both the Sin and the Soul are just too chattery at speed on harder snow. Again, YMMV. On powder the Soul 7 is reeeeally nice though. So overall both the Sin 7 and the Soul 7 are more powder oriented skis than the S3. At least they felt that way to me.

I handflexed a pair of the previous model Sin 7 the other day. The non-airtip version. Very soft. Softer than I remember the S3 being. Or if not softer, then at least as soft. Q98, Soul 7, and Annex 98 were on the rack next to it an were all much stiffer than the old model Sin 7. Shop rat described them as a 'soft narrow powder ski with lots of rocker that struggles on hard snow'.

That's the sum total of my Sin 7 knowledge and experience. Not sure if they beefed up the newer air tip model.

you are so in luck. If you ski at park city, you must go over to Deer Valley for a day. Rossignol has a Yurt at the Empire lodge where you can demo all their skis free for 2 hours. I demoed the Sin 7 172 for 2 days all over the Daly chutes, X-file trees, lapping Ruins of pompeii (great bumps)... they were great. I'm small though - 5'7", 140, 60yo. I solemnly swear to never buy skis I haven't demoed. Have fun!

I had S3's and loved them and have replaced them with the Soul 7's which I love even more. I like the tail much better, and all in al they feel like much more ski than the S3's and yet are light and playful.

I demo'd the Sin 7's and Soul 7's on the same day and didn't like the Sin 7's at all, just felt wimpy to me.

So although the Soul 7 is wider than your S3's it's a good replacement imo. Better on the groomers than the S3's with no doubt, probably due to more contact area, particularly in the tail.

Just a comment about perceived flex. Suspect it depends on whether we ski a neutral or a forward stance, among other things. Some skis that are pretty stiff can have moderate tips - Stockli comes to mind - but we may or may not notice that moderation depending on how we pressure them. Also edge angle, which wil allow progressively more flex in mid-ski at same force.

I cannot believe that anything that slides on the snow is a lot softer than the S3...

Just a comment about perceived flex. Suspect it depends on whether we ski a neutral or a forward stance, among other things. Some skis that are pretty stiff can have moderate tips - Stockli comes to mind - but we may or may not notice that moderation depending on how we pressure them. Also edge angle, which wil allow progressively more flex in mid-ski at same force.

I cannot believe that anything that slides on the snow is a lot softer than the S3...

Yes agree, you have to ski the Rossis reasonably centred on piste as there is nothing much to lean on at the front. The sidecut difference makes the newer ones feel different to the S3's for a start let alone the tails. The Sin 7 is less easy to slide the tail on, if you like to ski that way, than the S3 and doesn't do the twin tip rooster tail snow trick the same either.

I prefer the Sin 7 to the S3 as it works better on piste and didn't seem to lose anything much off it for me (normally spend 90% of my time on Head Titans unless snow is deep and soft enough FWIW) but seem the minority here preference wise.

I really liked my sin7's in soft snow.I had no trouble making any kind of turn and they were alot of fun much like the S3.The sin7 is a soft snow biased 98 and I would never complain about it's hard snow/groomer capabilities.

Since you had the Shreditor 102 on your list, see if you can find a demo of that ski. I found it to be much more ski than I had been led to believe (in a good way). Yes, it'll noodle with the best of them, but it tracks much better, on edge, in funky snow than a ski like that should.

Also, I had a surprising good day on a demo Dynastar Slicer….a forgotten ski that's still in the Dynastar line up, and like the Shreditor, it's very good at things it shouldn't be.